SMS based communication services enable sharing of text-only messages between mobile devices, such messages including up to 160 characters. MMS based communication services extend SMS capability by enabling inclusion of multimedia content, e.g., photographs, in messages sent between mobile devices. Moreover, MMS based technology facilitates group, or multiple recipient, messaging. In group messaging, a message can be sent, or broadcast, to more than one addressee; when an addressee responds, or replies, to the message, the response is broadcast to all addressees/recipients of the message.
Short codes are short telephone numbers that can be used to address SMS and MMS messages from communication devices, and are designed to be easier to read and remember than normal, e.g., North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) telephone numbers—NANPA telephone numbers are ten-digit numbers consisting of a tree-digit Numbering Plan Area (NPA) code (or area code), followed by a seven-digit local number. Messages can be sent to short codes, for example, to enter votes during a television broadcast, to order ringtones, or to implement various mobile device services, e.g., to verify total minutes used per cellular phone service period. Although conventional MMS techniques can route SMS and MMS messages via short codes, such techniques can limit customer experience(s) by incorrectly routing text-only, short code addressed group messages via MMS protocol.
The above-described deficiencies of today's wireless communication networks and related technologies are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art, and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein, may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.